Zenith

ICT4D Week 2018

Monday, August 31, 2015

The immediate-past Nigerian Minister of Communication
Technology, Dr. (Mrs) Omobola Johnson has been named the honourary chairperson
of the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI), reports ITRealms.

This appointment which took effect from Tuesday,
September 1, 2015, ITRealms gathered would entail that Dr. Johnson provides the
A4AI with strategic policy guidance, in addition to leading a high-level
international advocacy efforts, designed to deepen Alliance as it works to
drive down unacceptably high broadband prices, and bring billions more online,
fast.

Dr. Johnson replaces Dr. Bitange Ndemo, former Permanent
Secretary of Kenya’s Ministry of Information and Communication, who served as
A4AI Honorary Chair from the Alliance’s creation in October 2013 until 2014.

Affirming this development, Communications Manager,
Alliance for Affordable Internet, Lauran Potter noted that A4AI is the world’s
broadest technology sector coalition, with over 70 diverse members and working
closely with governments, companies and civil societies.

A4AI, Potter said in a press statement sighted by
ITRealms that the Alliance uses a blend of research, advocacy and on-the-ground
engagement to create policy and regulatory change that pushes broadband prices
down.

“In under two years, A4AI has doubled membership and
started work in five countries on three continents - Dominican Republic, Ghana,
Nigeria, Mozambique, Myanmar; meaning over 300 million people stand to benefit
from the Alliance’s work. A4AI’s global sponsors are Google, UK DFID and USAID,
and the World Wide Web Foundation serves as the secretariat. Other high-profile
members include the Internet Society, MainOne, Microsoft, and UN Women,” Potter
highlighted.

Potter equally described Dr. Johnson as a consummated ICT
policy professional, who tends to bring to the role over 30 years of experience
across both the private and public sectors.

“Between 2011 and 2015, she served as Nigeria’s Minister
of Communication Technology, where she oversaw the creation and implementation
of policy to enable affordable Internet, including the development and
presentation of the country’s 2013-2018 National Broadband Plan. During her
time as Minister, the percentage of Internet users in the country nearly
doubled from 24 per cent (2010) to 43 per cent (2014), and Nigeria became the
first African country to join A4AI in 2013. Prior to 2011, she spent over two
decades at Accenture, including a five-year stint as country managing director
for Nigeria. Dr. Johnson holds a DBA from Cranfield University in the UK, and
from 2014 to 2015 served as the Chair of the 18th session of the UN Commission
on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD),” A4AI spokesperson said.

Reacting to her new post, Dr. Johnson noted that at this
era of technological innovation, it is simply unacceptable that policies and
regulations still conspire to keep Internet access unaffordable for billions.

“Today, an entry-level mobile broadband package costs the
average African over 15 per cent of their monthly earnings, while an average
European would pay just 1 per cent. That affordability gap helps to explain why
over 80 per cent of European households are online, compared to just 11 per
cent of African households,” she said.

Dr. Johnson pointed out that she has seen firsthand the
incredible power of the web to improve health, education, economic and
development outcomes, particularly for women and rural populations.

“I’ve also seen how smart, collaborative policymaking can
drive prices down fast. Now, I’m excited to be able to use my experience and
networks to accelerate the progress A4AI is already making,” she said.

For the Executive Director, A4AI, Ms Sonia Jorge, the
appointment of Dr. Johnson was thrilling to the A4AI team. Describing her as a
long-time advocate of universal and affordable Internet access and active
supporter of the Alliance’s work since the launch in 2013, hence, Dr. Johnson
brings with her a wealth of experience and knowledge in the ICT field.

“As Minister of Communication Technology in Nigeria, she
achieved great success in developing the policy framework for the extension of
broadband infrastructure, increasing competition and focusing on reaching the
most marginalised, women and rural dwellers. These policy steps allowed prices
to drop and more Nigerians to come online. We look forward to working together
with Dr. Johnson to advance our work and goal of making affordable broadband for
all a reality, and have no doubt she will make a significant contribution,”
Jorge said.

Burglars at the weekend, invaded the office of Newsdiaryonline located at Extension D-49, EFAB Mall in Garki district, Abuja, reports ITRealms.

Publisher and editor-in-chief of
Newsdiaryonline, Mr. Danlami Nmodu, conformed to ITRealms that those who burgled the office forcefully broke
the doors before gaining entrance.

"They also ransacked some drawers
and made away with some vital office items," he said.

Also, Nmodu listed some items removed from the office to include laptop
computers, a generating set, 1 LCD television set and electric kettle among
other items.

“Surprisingly, the burglars left
the internet router and the satellite TV decoder behind apparently
because these two items could have made it easier to trace the
location of whoever broke into our office” he said.

Describing the removal of some laptop computers particularly unsettling because they contain some information.

The
editor–in-chief however assured readers and followers of
Newsdiaryonline, that the acclaimed fastest growing Nigerian online news organization will in spite of this setback, ”shall continue to serve and provide
you with credible news, opinions and analysis without fear or favour.”

Academix.ng, a website dedicated to collating research
originating from Nigeria has been launched by Quest to Reality, a Nigerian
Information and Communication consultancy.

Speaking at the launch in Calabar, CEO, Quest to Reality,
Engr. Iso Bassey stated that the lack of access to Nigerian research content
gave birth to academix.ng which is a pool of research by academics and
professionals.

“We have aggregated research material originating from
Nigeria from across multiple disciplines and published them on academix.ng thus
ensuring easy access for anybody who desires good quality Nigeria-focused
research. You no longer have to spend time online browsing multiple websites for
research originating from Nigeria. Simply log on to academix.ng, register and
find the topic you are looking for.”

Bassey also noted that the website is a work in progress
as it is continuously being uploaded with new content. “We are signing up new
partners on a weekly basis, increasing the number of papers on academix,ng,
presently we have over 3,000 papers on our website.”

Speaking further, Bassey noted that the website supports
both Open Access and Fee Access material. Bassey used the launch of the website
to call on Nigerian research institutions to partner with academix.ng to take
Nigerian research content forward and strengthen the global reputation and
positive perception of Nigerian researchers.

The President, Dangote Group,
AlikoDangote, has revealed that the choice of Cameroon for the
multi-billion Naira cement investment is quite strategic, ITRealms reports.Cameroon is the largest
economy in Central Africa and is well endowed with abundant natural resources.
The country also enjoys political stability, adequate security and growing
infrastructural development in addition to President Biya’s creation of an
enabling environment that has continued to attract investors both from within
and outside the African continent.

“For this reason, we feel particularly at
home in Cameroon. And for this reason too, we are determined to explore other
areas where we can contribute our own quota to the remarkable economic
transformation, taking place under the government of President Biya”, he said.

He stated that due to the warm welcome given
to Dangote Cement, the company has decided to begin work on the second phase of
the plant, which will see the doubling of its capacity from the current
1.5mmetrictonnesperannum (mtpa) to 3.0mmtpa.

“Our desire to increase our investment with
the Phase 2 project is based on not only the fast growth rate of the
Cameroonian economy but also due to the warm welcome extended to us and the
enabling environment created by the government of Cameroon,”he said.

As part of its effort to fast-track economic integration within Africa, Dangote
Cement Plc,commissioned its $250
million (about N49.79 billion)1.5million metric tonnes per annum cement grinding plant in Douala,
Camaroon,barely three weeks after the
cement plant in Zambia was commissioned.

The company, in addition laid foundation for a 200m Jetty in Base Elf area, of
the Douala Port of Cameroon.

Dangote said he was delight at the
commissioning of the project which commenced in 2011, adding that the plant is
the company’s largest Greenfield project in a neighbouring country, which
Nigeria has a long history of brotherly relationship that dates back to the
colonial era.

The former Executive Secretary of the Association of Telecommunications
Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) and immediate past governor of Akwa-Ibom State,
Dr. Godswill Akpabio was Monday morning involved in a motor accident, but said
to be stable, reports ITRealms.

The accident which occurred along Airport Road at the Federal Capital
Territory (FCT), Abuja was said to have left the former governor and currently
the minority leader of Senate visibly shaken.

Following the accident, Akpabio accompanied by the wife were rushed to the National
Hospital Abuja.

ITRealms report further has it that Akpabio has since been moved to a private ward in the hopsital and received
in audience, the Governor of Akwa-Ibom State, Mr. Emmanuel Udom, who invariably
flow into Abuja on hearing the news, which occurred before 10am on Monday.

However, a relative who pleaded non-mention of his name in the press said they are praying for Akpabio's quick recovery.

SimbaPay, a leading digital money
transfer provider is partnering with Choice Microfinance Bank to bring
financial services to Kenyans living in United Kingdom and other European Union
countries, ITRealms reports.

Kenyans living in the UK with a bank
account, debit card or credit card are now able to use the SimbaPay app to make
money transfers from any mobile phone, tablet or computer. The service will be
rolled out to Kenyans living in other EU countries in the near future.

In the press release made available
to ITRealms, the Head, Operations, SimbaPay, Victor Karanja, “Our
customers who already bank with Choice Microfinance Bank or have friends and
family using the bank will be glad to see their transfers being credited
instantly”.

The Deputy CEO, Choice Microfinance
Bank, Stanley Kasyoka, added that “We are very excited about this new
partnership with SimbaPay which is heavily engaged with the economic force that
is Kenyans living abroad. Kenyans abroad are the country’s largest earner of
foreign exchange today”.

SimbaPay and Choice Microfinance
Bank, ITRealms gathered, announced the partnership on August 29, 2015 in
London at the annual “Kenya in the Park” event where they also exhibited the
service. The two companies jointly sponsored the event with other businesses targeting Kenyans
abroad. The event is an annual celebration of Kenya’s rich vibrant culture.

For ease of use, Choice Bank has
been pre-loaded on to the SimbaPay platform which eliminates the need for
customers having to remember the Choice Bank pay bill details. At the time of
making a money transfer using SimbaPay, customers will be required to select
the bank from a database of Pay Bill businesses and then enter the destination
account number and amount, ITRealms learnt.

SimbaPay also launched free, instant
transfers to all Nigerian banks in May 2015. In June it became the first
platform in the world to allow Kenyans living abroad to make M-Pesa Pay Bill
payments and continues to disrupt the cross-border remittance industry with its
focus on speed and convenience, ITRealms informs.

The National President, Association of Telecommunications
Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Engr. Lanre Ajayi, has called for the optimization
of the 58 million Internet users in the country, reports ITRealms.

He said even though Nigeria has more than 58 million
active internet users which is more that the population of many African
countries, stressing that with availability of infrastructure little content is
being placed in there.

Currently, he said, what is seen online are a few
e-commerce and government services,adding that every business should be online,
declaring, “it is time to rise up for everybody to benefit from the internet.”

Ajayi, ITRealms
gathered,made this known ina goodwill
message at the 2015 Edition of the annual Nigeria Internet Group (NIG)
Conference and Exhibition whichhad the theme: “Internet Penetration, the Way
Forward” and held at the Golden Gate Restaurant, Ikoyi, Lagos at the weekend.

He revealed that the evolution of NIG began in 1995 when
the internet usage was still at its infancy and acknowledged the contributions
of Engr. Olawale Ige, the then Minister of Communication for his contributions to
the growth and development of NIG. He said that while the internet use in
Nigeria has been upbeat, only 50 per cent of the job has just been concluded,
calling on Nigerians to support NIG to achieve better internet penetration.

Engr.Ajayi pointed out that even though Nigeria internet
awareness began late the coming on board of NIG brought great impetus to the
development and promotion of the internet through advocacy, conferences and
exhibitions, ITRealms
learnt.

The immediate past NIG president, Engr Adebayo George
Banjo,had earlier welcomed guests to the occasion stating that the Conference
and Exhibition has been with the group since inception and called for support.

ITRealms
informs that this year’s conference and exhibition is germane because of the
theme which aims to achieve internet penetration and an improved internet service.